Banihal/Jammu, May 29: At least 17 vulnerable points have been identified for urgent repairs along the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway to ensure smooth traffic flow, particularly in preparation for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, a senior official announced on Wednesday. A high-level team of officers inspected the 270-km national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, to pinpoint bottlenecks affecting traffic amid the ongoing four-laning project.
“The main purpose behind the visit was to inspect the vulnerable points along the 56-km stretch between Nashri to Banihal, which need urgent repairs ahead of the yatra,” Deputy Commissioner Ramban Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary said.
The inspection team, which included local police, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Traffic Police, and senior officers of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), also reviewed traffic arrangements in Banihal town and the capacity of the ‘yatri niwas’ at Lamber. The 52-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir’s Himalayas is scheduled to start on June 29 and conclude on August 19.
“At least 17 critical spots have been identified between Nashri and Banihal for urgent repairs, while it was also decided to macadamize the Banihal market road. The work will be completed within a week, followed by a dry run to ensure a smooth journey for pilgrims, tourists, and commuters,” the deputy commissioner said.
While the majority of the four-lane construction work that started in 2016 on the highway has been completed, some tunnels, bypasses, and flyovers, especially in the Ramban district, are still under construction.
The deputy commissioner said that the security of pilgrim convoys was also discussed, along with plans to enhance the capacity of the ‘yatri niwas’ at Lamber and activate all facilities for short stays of pilgrims, tourists, and commuters in case of road closures.
The entire stretch in the Ramban and Banihal sector is prone to landslides, which lead to disruptions on the highway during the monsoon season, besides the movement of nomads in search of greener pastures for their livestock.
